Oil well device



3 Sheets-Sheet l P. H. GRANGE'R OIL WELL DEVICE Filed Nv. :5, 1941l R O T N E v .N.

Paul H. Granger Bgazl 4f A l ,47m/mfr.

Jne 25,' 1946.

P. H. GRANGER June 25, 1946.

OIL WELL DEVICE Filed NOV. 5, 1941 INVENTOR y Paul` H. Granger rroRA/Ex,

June 25, 1946,.

P. H. @RANGER OIL WELL DEVICE 3 Sheets-Shea# 3 vFiled Nov. s.' 1941 INVENTOR Paul H. Granger Patented June 25, 1946 UNiTr-:D lSTATES PAT-ENT ori-ica OIL WELL DEVICE Paul H. Granger, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 3, 1941, Serial No. 417,583

^ 12 claims. (ci. 16e-11) lined with casing which includes as a part of the string stands of perforated pipe or screen positioned opposite the oil producingmeasures. It is common practice to cement the casing. in the well bore, i. e. fill all or part of the "annular zone y of the bore around the-casing above andbelow the perforated pipe with cement to preclude seepage of water from a water-bearing stratum nearer the surface into the producing sand's'where it may displace the oil. Approved ,methods of cementing wells contemplate pumping volumesof fluent cement downwardly through the casing or through a stringvof tubing placed in the casing for the purpose, and the ejection of thecement from ports in the casing into the annular area of the holearound the casing at the lower end of the zone to be cemented. In order to accomplish this operation it is ordinarily necessary that circulation be preliminarily established through the casing and ports from which the cement is to be subsequently ejected, and thence upwardly to the well surface so as to insure an unrestricted pase sage for the cement to the zone to be sealed. It occasionally happens that after the upper portion of the water string is thus cemented, Water from a lower` theretofore unsuspected Water-bearing stratum will appear in the oil pumped. In s u'ch case circulation-tc the well surface is prevented by the cement thereabove sealing the upper bore of the weil casing, which presents a problem of spot cementing with which the present invention is concerned.

Where the area to be cemented is located below a productive measure and circulation from the point of discharge of the cement to the Well surthus tending to seal oi'the oil sands from the casing orimpeding ow of the oil`tonthe well. I It is a general object of the presentlinvention to provide apparatus and methods by which uent cement, acid, or other" fluids may be expelled through ports'in the casing at any predetermined level and confined to a limited area .of the surrounding well bore whereby the fluid may beV spotted at any unrestricted annular area of the well around the casing without the necessity oi establishing circulationto the well surface exteriorly'of the casing.

More specifically an object of the invention 'is the provision of apparatus embodying a tubing string through'which the fluid to be placed in the well bore may be pumped to the zone of the casing having the ports'therein through which the fluid is to b'e discharged, carrying a series of packers adapted to seal off the area of the casing in lwhich the discharge ports are disposed and an upper ported section of the casing communicable with the discharge port through an unrestricted section of the well bore in which the device may be located, in combination with a valve-controlled by-pass vthrough the upper packer whereby circulation tothe well surface for relief 0i the thydrostatic head in the zone to be effected if desired.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the character alluded to embodying means to close olf circulation to the well surface through ports in the casing string above the zone into which the iluid is to be ejected so as to conne the area'of the well opposite the discharge port in the casing and prevent upward movement' of the uid ejected into the well bore from the casing beyond predetermined limits.

Another object is the provision of a method oi spotting a quantity of nuid ina predetermined y location of a well bore below a perforated section of casing which contemplates the sealing of the casing bore above and below the perforations in the casing whereby the fluid inthe bore of the well encircling the casing above the zone intended i to receive the discharge will create a hydrostatic head suiiicient to resist movement of the fluid ejected from the casing to a point above'V the zone to be treated.

Another object is t6 provide a tubing string carrying acasing packer assembly having a valvecontrolled by-pass therethrough adapted to facilitate the lowering of the tool into the well and to control circulation of fluid ejected from the tubing string to the well surface through a part ofthe annular area in the Well bore encircling the casing.

Other objects and important features of my in- A vention,F such for example as simplicity of conbe cemented may drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a portion of the casing intermediate its upper and lower ends, illustrating in elevation the tool of my invention as positioned for use. y

Fig. 2 is a-sectional view ofthe upper packer of the device, illustrating particularly a, by-pass through the packer and the means for operating the same;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, depicting the valve which controls the bypass vthrough the upper packer in closed position;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on correspondingly numbered lines oi' Fig. 2;

` Fig. 6 is a sectional View of lines 6-6-of Fig. 3;

Fig. '1 is a sectional view of the casing and lower part of the too1 of'my invention disposed therein;

Fig.v 8 is a sectional view on lines 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the housing for the valves and associated mechanism controlling the by-pass through the lower packers;

Fig. 10 is a sectional viewtaken on lines I--I of Fig. .9 with the lower valve closed.

Referring to the drawings in detail which' illustrate the use and application of my invention as a cementing device, the numerals of which drawings indicate similar parts throughout the sev-` eral views, II designates a length of casing comprising an oil string, lining the well bore intermediate the surface and the bottom of the well. The casing string includes two sections of perforated pipe or screen I2 disposed opposite spaced levels. 'The upper part of the bore of the well -(not shown) is sealed to protect the oil sands from water thereabove as is required in producing wells. In order to place fluent cement in the annular area of the hole encircling the imperforate casing between the perforated sections I2 thereof, holes I3 are punched in the casing by a suitable perforating tool, the number, arrangement andsize of the holes being within the skill of those engaged in the art. It will be understood, however, that the casing may be provided with pre-formed ports for the ejection of cement or other fluid, if desired.

In carrying out the method of my'invention I utilize the apparatus about to be described, suspended'on the end of a tubing string I4 which is low'ered into the casing. A mandrel I5 having an exterior circumferential enlargement I6 forming an annular shoulder I1 is secured to the lower end of tubing I4 by a collar i8. Encircling the lower portion of mandrel I5 is a sleeve I9 having y a bushing 20 threaded into the upper part thereof so as to turn von mandrel I5 4and be supported by the shoulder I1.. The sleeve I9 is of suii'icient inside diameter to accommodate a laterally projecting lug 2 I integral with the periphery of enlargement I6 of the mandrel I5. A depending lug 22 integral with the iower edge of bushing 20 limits rotary movement of tubing string I4 relative to sleeve I9 to approximately 180.

The bore of sleeve I9 is restricted below the enlargement I6 of th'e mandrel as at 23 and is threaded to receive the upper end of a packer barrel 24. The barrel 24 fits closely around a pipe 25 having its upper end threaded into the bore of mandrel I5 so as to rotate therewith. A downwardly directed cup packer 26 of any conventional design and construction is secured on the packer barrel 24 by suitable means so as to snugly engage-thewalls, of casing II. A member 21 threaded to the lowerend of packer barrel 24 forms a continuation of the latter. The lower bore of the member 21 is enlarged to receive an annular valve 28 having an arcuate slot 29 therein parallel to its. periphery and of a length less than.180 but s'uflicient to register with a series of spaced passages 30 'extending upwardlyend ofpipe 25 is threaded into the member 21, i for the compression of packing 31 therein by a gland 39. The bore of valve28 is formed with a vertical slot or key way to receive a key 39 carried by pipe 25 when valve 28 is fitted against member 21 at the A lower end of the passages 30. It will thus be seen that by rotation of tubing I4 in a clockwise direction from the position with the by.pass open, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the pipe 25 may be rotated within packer barrel 24 and member 21. As the valve 28 is keyed to pipe 25 the valve will likewise be rotated to move its arcuate slot 29 out of registry with the passages 30 through the member and barrel, thus closing the by-pass.

A string of tubing 40 is suspended from the lower end of the packing box 36, the length of which tubing is preferably greater than the length of perforated pipe I2 below which the cement is to be placed.V Onthe lower end of the tubingl string 40 a tool of the character described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,248,169, dated July 8, 1941, is connected and comprises a reducing coupling 4I threaded to the lower end of tubing 4l) for connection to a diametrically reduced tubing string 42. A collar 43 encircling the lower end of the tubingstring 40 and the coupling 4I has threaded therein a bushing 44 which snugly but rotatably engages tubing 40 for the suspension of collar 43 and associated mechanism therebelow.

A packer barrel 45 threaded into collar 43 and I ing 49 is secured to the lower end of the packer diaphragms.

barrel 45 and embodies a pair of spaced annular diaphragms 50 closely encircling the tubing sec-I tion. `Each of the diaphragms 50 is formed with a port 5I controlled by a slotted annular valve 52 encircling the tubing section 42 between the A pair of keys 53 carried by tubing 42 engage in key ways formed in the bores of the respective valves 52. Ahelical spring 54 encircles tubing 42 between valves 52 to maintain the latter firmly against the diaphragms 5l) with which they cooperate respectively.

A third packer barrel 55 is threaded into the lower end 0f the lower valve housing 49 for the support of an upwardly directed cup casing packer 456. Ay second set i, 55 below packer 56 for engagement with casing Il.

.tion $2 are closed by members 58 and 59, re-

The lower end of barrel 55 and tubing secspectively. A series of-ports -60 are formed in packer barrel 55 for admission'of uid during the lowering of the tool into the well and for draining the tool when it is removed.

In order to insure the desired operation of the valves '52 a pair of stops 5I are mounted on the upper surface of the bushing at diametrically opposite sides of the tubing string which are adapted to be engaged by a pin B2 extending laterally from the tubing so as to limit the relative movement of tubing i0 and packer barrels to approximately 180. At the opposite ends of this relative movement the slots 63 of the valves 52 will be in registry and out of registry respectively with the ports I in diaphragms 56. The valve housing Q9 is provided with a lateral port 65 throughwhichfiuid pumped through the port Bd may pass for ejection into the well bore through port I3 in the casing.

The operation of my invention as employed for cementing wells is briefly described as follows.:` lAfter the holes I3 through which the cement 1s to be discharged are punched in the casing by the perforating tool the device of my invention is lowered into the well by the assembly of suc` cessive stands of tubing string It until the packers al and 56 are disposed above and below the section of casing in which the holes are formed. Prior to .the lowering of the tool, valves 2B and fluid in the casing through the packers while lowering the device. As the tool is lowered, the fluid enters the` lower packer barrel 55 through ports 6B and passes-through slots 63 and ports 5I in the valves -52 and diaphragms 50 respectively, to re-enter the annular area of the casv ing bore around the tool above the packers through ports 46. The iluid is by-passed through the packer 26 through slot 29 in valve 28 and the passages 30 in member 21 and packer barrel 24,

` respectively, as heretofore described. During the lowering operation, uid in the well is also .permitted access to the interior of the tubing 42, lili and 4I through port 65 and port 64 in the valves 52.

When it is determined that the tool is properly placed-with the lower set of packers 4'Iand, 56

confining the zone of casing II containingA the ports or perforations -I3 through which the fluid discharge is to be effected, cementitious fluid may be introduced into the tubing string at the well surface. It will be noted, however, that the uid which enters tubing i 4 during the lowering operation must be displaced while pumping the cement down to the point of subsequent ejection. Ac- I portion of the bore-of the well in which the cement is to be placed, of debris, in which case the tubing string I4 may be' rotated in a. clockwise direction until the lug 2i contacts the depending lug 22' of 50 portion of the tubing section 42 between the bushing 20 and transmits the rotary motion of tubing I4 to the lower sections of tubing '40 and 42 so as to turn the valves 28 and 52 and shift the slots in said valves out of alignment 5 with the ports controlled thereby. The tubing string I4-may then be turned back (counter clockwise) approximately 180 to re-open the upper by-pass through packer 26. Thereafter fluid ejected from the tubing stringunder pump 1o pressure may be forced out of the casing through be assured that cement introduced into the casing will-have access to thel annular area of the hole around the casing.

In either event the fluid in the casing may be displaced from the path of the cement, the volume of which is carefully approximated as sufficient to iill the area of the hole from the point of discharge upwardly to a point below the upper screen l2. When it is determined that the uent cement has reached the tool, the tubing string it isagain turned in a clockwise direction approximately half a revolution to close the upper valve 28. Pressure is then applied to the fluid column introduced on top of the cement to force the cement out of the tubing and casing through port 6d, port 65 and holes i3 into the hole against the pressure of the well. With the upper by-pass closed, none of the cementitious fluid will be permittedto rise into the'upper productive measures or enter the casing through the upper screen I2.

.35 As a result, the cement under compulsion of sufli- 52 are openedin order that the tool may by-pass cient pressure at the well head will be forced into the crevices and pores of the strata encircling the casing at the point of ejection of the fluid, and thus form a barrier to the ilow of water' enter- 40 ing the hole at that point into the lower oil producing sands.

Upon ejection of substantially all the cement from the tubing, of which the operator will be informed 'by the pumping into the casing of an equal volume of mud fluid at the well surface after` the cement reaches the tool, a tight head is maintained on the well and the cement is allowed to partially set, i. e. for a length of time sufficient to insure coagulation of the cementv to a degree that will notpermit its return into the casing when pressure at the well head is relieved. Tubing string kI4 is then rotated in a counter-'clockwise direction to register the slots in valve 28 with kthe passages' 30 and thereafter transmit motion -55 to the lower tubing section 42 to similarly open the valves 52.- The tool mayl then be raised from the well. 'I he fluid pumped into tubing string I4 `on top .of the cementwill accordingly drain lout ofithetubing string and associated parts so as to' wash the tubing of cement tailings.

While mylinvention is particularly adapted for use in discharging cement into the annular area ofthe hole-around the casing below a productive 6.5 measure or particular producing oil sand, it will be appreciated that the tool is useful for placing cement behind the wall of a casing at any point in the well, and that if circulation is desired in the annular zone to be cemented in order to 'determine that an area of the bore lis clear to receivethe cement and to clean the bore of detritus which might otherwise prevent the formationv of an eilective seal, this may be accomplished through an upper ported section of casing. The

l5 spotting of any fluid such as acid or the like 7 the-'upper port.

behind the casing may done in a like or similar manner. I

It will be observed that I have provided adevice which is adapted to not only seal oil aportion of the casing from which the ejection of uid is to be effected but which is also adapted for the' closing off of communication between the bore of the hole above the point of ejection of iiuid with the well surface around the tubing string through f stood that numerous changes in size, design, number and proportion of the various parts may be made, and particularly that the structures formingthe valve-controlled by-passes through the packers 2B, l1 and 56 are interchangeable and only illustrative of many such apparatuses that may be adopted from the art. without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

. 8 above the point of election, ejectlng a quantity of fluid from the casing while maintaining communication with the well surface through said upper port, closing said communication to the well surface through the upper port, and electing fluid into the well bore -from the member and casing against the pressure of the well.

6. In an apparatus for placing a fluent mixture at a selected point through a port in the casing of a previously cemented casing-lined well, a tubing string having a discharge port therein adapted to be placedwithln the well casing adjacent said port in said casing, means to seal a zone of the annular area of the casing around said tubing in which said discharge port is located so as to direct iiuid ejected under pres- I sure from said discharge port into the well bore What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Y Patent is: j

1. In a device for ejecting fluidsthrough a tubing string from the top of the well into a well bore, a casing stringV having a pair of vertically spaced ports therein, means to eject fluid by pump pressure through said tubing string and from the lowe'rniost port in the casing,` and means to conhe ingress of fluid into the casing through 2. In a device for electing fluids into a well spaced lateral ports therein, a tubing string in the'casing, a pair of packers carried by said tubing string closing the annular area of the casing around the tubing above and below the lower port1 an upper packer closing the area ofthe casing around the tubing above the upper port, and means to by-pass fluid in the casing through said-.last-named packer.

Y' 3. 'In a device for ejecting fluids through a tubing string into a well bore, a casing string havair of vertically spaced lateral ports theretubing string in and extending from upper end'ofsaid casing string, a pair of packers carriedxby said tubing string closing the annular areajo'f: thefcasing around the tubing above and he lower port, 'an upper packer closing the cans forming a by-pass through red packer, and means to control iluidv ov mentthrough said by-pass.

4. .methodfor the ejection of fluids into dwell bore, pumping uid through j y i ember to a point inthe casing adiacent' the point at which the fluid is to be ejected, communicating the area of the well bore with the well surface through a port in the casing above the point of ejection, and ejecting a quantity of fluid from the casing while maintaining communication with the well surface through said upper port.

5. In a method for the ejection' of fluids into acasing-lined well bore, pumping uid through 'a tubular member to a point in the casing adjacent the point at which the fluid is to be ejected, communicating the area of the well bore with they-well surface through aportY in the casing tliecasing around the tubing above the' around the casing through said port therein, and means to prevent iluid from rising in the annular bore above predetermined limits around the cas- 'ing in response to said ejection of fluid.

8. In a method of placing 'a fluent mixture at.

a selected point through the casing of a previously cemented casing-lined well bore, the steps of: (1) perforating the casing at the selected point; (2) packing oi an area in said casing extending above and below said perforation; (3) pumping the fluent'mlxture through tubing to a point adjacent said perforation and within said packed-off area; and (4) coincidentally vwith said pumping, by-passing fluid displaced from said packed-olf -area of the casing through the casing to the top of. the well.

9. In a ymethod of shutting oil water in an area of a casing-lined cemented oil well below anoil producing stratum, the steps of (l) perforating the casing at a selected point below said stratum; (2) packing off an area in said casing extending above' and below said perforation; (3) pumping a -iiuent cement mixture through tubing and adjacent said perforation; (4) coincidentally with said pumping', by-passing `fluid displaced from said area through casing thereabove to the 'top of the well; (5 shutting off circulation through casing to the top of the well; (6) forcing said fluent cement mixture E said casing; (4) coincidentally with said pumping by-passing uid from said area through casing thereabove to the top of the well; (5) shutting joi circulation through casing to the top of the well; (6) forcing said fluent cement mixture through said perforation into the Abore of the well;I and (7) permittingthe cementitlous mixture to set.

l1. In a method of shutting on' water in an area of the casing-lined previously cemented oil well between the well screens of two spaced apart oil bearing strata, the steps of: (1) perforating the casing at a selected point between said well screens; (2) packing off an area within the casing between said well screens and extending above and below said perforation; (3) packing off an additional area within said casing above 'and adjoining said rst packed oi area, said lastmentioned area including that occupied by the upper of said well screens; (4) pumping a fluent 4 cement mixture through tubing within said casing adjacent said perforation; (5) coincidentally ,off circulation to the top of the well; and(7) forcing fluent cement mixture through said perforation against pressure in the bore of the well. 12. In a method of shutting ot water in an/ Y area of a casing-lined previously cemented oil well between the well screens of two spaced -apart oil bearing strata, the steps of: (1) perforating the casing at a selected point between said well screens; (2) packing oi an area within the casing between said well screens and extending above and below said perforation; (3) packing off an additional area within said casing above and4 adjoining said first packed off area, said last-mentioned area including that occupied by the upper of said well screens; (4) establishing circulation from the area between said well screens through casing to the top ofthe well; (5)I pumping a fluent'l cement mixture through tubing within 'said casing and adjacent said perforations; (6) coincidentally with said pumping, bypassing fiuid displaced from the area of said perforation through casing thereabove to the top -of the well; (7) shutting off circulation to the ,top of the well; and (8) forcing fluent cement mixture through said perforation against pressure in the bore of the well.

- PAUL H. GRANGER. 

